Sarid says that "Sharon's fence is a crime against humanity." He refers to Sharon as a man "suited to serve as prime minister of South Africa in the blackest days of the apartheid that conceived the reprehensible Bantustans."

Schiff feels that the route of the fence should be changed, though not necessarily to the Green Line. Yet he concedes that changes would not result in increased understanding of Israel's security situation, concluding:

Will these changes produce greater understanding in Europe for the steps that Israel is taking to defend itself? Unfortunately, the answer is "no." The dominant line in many places is that Israel has no right even to defend itself.

Schiff and Sarid are both leftist. The contrast between their respective columns provides an excellent example of the distinction between the mainstream Israeli left and the extreme left.